Garment former



I c. s JQRDAN.

GARMENT FORMER Filed July 1946 INVENTOR; CLAUDE I s JORDAN Q Q aw ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 2,477,878 GARMENT FORMER,

Claude S. J ordamCulver City, Calif. Application July 22, 1946, Serial No. 685,524

8 Claims. (01. 223-74) This invention relates to garment formers, particularly sleeve formers and the like which are employed for stretching or reshaping sleeves and similar tubular garment members while they are being steamed or during drying following a washing or cleaning operation.

The invention provides an improved locking or latching means whereby the garment former is held positively in the proper position during the forming operation and released easily when the former is to be withdrawn.

It has been proposed heretofore to construct a garment former of two substantially complementary sections arranged side by side with a lever pivoted to an intermediate [portion of one section and to an end portion of the other section, thereby connecting the two sections for lateral adjustment toward or away from each other. A device of this character is slid into a sleeve or the like in collapsed condition and then the two sections are moved away from each other by means of the lever which subsequently is locked in a position defined by the particular garment being formed. The operation should be conducted rapidly and the two forming sections should be locked with respect to each other in such manner that they can be easily released and collapsed to permit withdrawal of the apparatus from the sleeve at termination of the sleeve forming operation.

I have developed an improved locking means for apparatus of the class described. Thus my invention contemplates a handle on the lever which controls the movement of the two sections,

an arcuate locking arm fastened and preferably hinged to the handle and projecting transversely therefrom substantially parallel to the plane of 'movement of the lever and the two sections and the locking arm, thereby holding the lever and the attached forming sections in the proper position. In my preferred form of apparatus, the trigger is provided with an opening through which the locking arm passes. The spring, except when the trigger is pulled, holds the latter in engage ment with the locking arm within the opening. It is desirable to provide the opening with a sharp edge which bears against the locking arm to assure that it is maintained in proper position.

In its preferred form, the garment former of my invention is provided with a spring which bears against the handle and tends to so move the lever that the apparatus is normally in a. collapsed position with the two sleeve forming sections disposed side by side. The action of this spring is opposed by the locking means comprising the trigger and the locking arm, so that when the trigger is released, the apparatus immediately collapses to facilitate withdrawal from the formed garment.

The trigger preferably is mounted in one of the sections and with one end projecting therefrom .opposite the handle. Thus both handle and trigger can be manipulated by the same hand.

7 These and other aspects of my invention will .be understood more thoroughly in the light of .the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a preferred form of a sleeve former of my invention;

' Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is, an enlarged view showing a modified form of the locking means of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a section through the device of Fig. 1 taken along the line 4-4.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a curved upper forming member ID adapted to nest against a lower forming member H when the apparatus is in collapsed state. Both of the forming members are curved to conform to the sleeve or other tubular garment member to be formed. Normally, the two forming members are held together in nested position by means of a lever l2 which is pivoted toward one end of the member I l around a shaft I3 passing transversely through the member perpendicular to the plane of movement of the member I0. Thus the form- 'ing members and the lever move in the same plane.

The'lever is hinged or pivoted at a mid-point of the upper member III by means of a pivot pin I4 disposed parallel to the axis or shaft 13 of the lever.

The lever I2 is provided with a handle l5 which projects above the lower forming member when the apparatus is collapsed, this position being assured by-a spring l6 of the helical coil type. Its lowerend I1 is fastened in the lower forming member. Its upper end projects against the handle from the inside and tends to force the handle upwardly, i. e. away from the forming member to which the lever is hinged.

The locking means of the invention is disposed between the handle proper and the adjacent left hand end of the lower forming member II. It comprises an arcuate locking arm l8 hinged by means of a pin I9 to the handle and extending transversely to the handle through the lower forming member. The locking arm is bent on an arc swung around the shaft l3 as a pivot. It passes through a hole in a trigger 20 which is hinged to a small pin 2| in the lower forming member. The trigger likewise is mounted within the handle to swing in approximately the same plane as the main lever. It has a thumb portion 22 which projects below the member opposite the handle in proper relationship to be grasped by the hand which operates the handle.

A compression spring 23 is disposed between the inside and of the trigger lever and the wall of the forming member ll, so that the trigger member is pushed upwardly from its inside end to bear against the locking arm. This action is shown in greater detail in Fig. 3 where it will be observed that the upper right hand edge 24 of the opening through which the locking arm passes in the handle is sharp. This sharp edge is pushed against the locking arm except when the outside end of the trigger is squeezed toward the handle, in which case the apparatus is free to be adjusted to any desired position.

The construction of the apparatus of the invention is such that the sleeve holder may be adjusted to any desired position simply by squeezing the handle toward the adjacent end of the lower forming member. The trigger permits the locking arm to move through it until the proper adjusted position is reached, but thereafter it holds the locking arm and consequently the lever and the attached forming member in the proper position until the trigger is released. When the trigger is released, the apparatus, under the force of the spring 16, automatically collapses and may be withdrawn.

In the operation of the apparatus just described, the sleeve former is slid into a sleeve in its normally collapsed state. Thereafter, the handle is squeezed toward the adjacent end of the lower forming member, whereupon the'upper forming member is moved laterally away to contact the side of the sleeve and stretch it to the desired degree. The handle is then released, and the locking member holds the sleeve former in the proper position until the sleeve has dried or the operation has otherwise been completed, whereupon the trigger end 22 is pressed, releasing the arcuate locking arm and permitting the entire apparatus to collapse and be withdrawn from the sleeve.

It will be clear that the apparatus of the invention is a most convenient one for dry cleaning establishments, tailor shops, et cetera where a sTeeFforming operation must be conducted rapidly and simply. The operator need do nothing more than squeeze the handle to put the garment former in correct position for the forming operation. The withdrawal operation is equally simple, since it is necessary to do nothing more than touch the trigger to permit the apparatus to collapse.

I claim:

1. In a garment former having first and second forming members adapted to be moved laterally to and from each other and a control lever mounted on the first forming member and hinged to the second forming member for adjusting the lateral distance between the members, the combination which comprises a handle on the lever, an arcuate locking arm fastened to and projecting transversely from the handle substantially parallel to the plane of movement of lever and forming members, a trigger hinged to the first forming member and adapted to swing approximately parallel to said plane and engage the locking arm, and a spring disposed between the first forming member and the trigger for holding the latter in engagement with the locking arm.

2. In a garment former having first and second forming members adapted to be moved laterally to and from each other and a control lever mounted on the first forming member and hinged to the second forming member for adjusting the lateral distance between the members,

the combination which comprises a handle on the lever, an arcuate locking arm fastened to and projecting transversely from the handle substantially parallel to the plane of movement of lever and forming members, a trigger hinged to the first form-ing member and adapted to swing approximately parallel to said plane and engage the locking arm, and a spring mounted on the first forming member and bearing against the trigger for holding the latter in engagement with the locking arm.

3. In a garment former having first and second forming members adapted to be moved laterally to and from each other and a control lever mounted on the first forming member and hinged to the second forming member for adjusting the lateral distance between the members, the combination which comprises a handle on the lever, an arcuate locking and fastened to and projecting transversely from the handle substantially parallel to the plane of movement of lever and forming members, a trigger hinged to the first forming member and adapted to swing approximately parallel to said plane and provided with an opening through which the locking arm passes, and a spring means for holding the trigger in engagement with the locking arm.

4. In a garment former having first and second forming members adapted to be moved laterally to and from each other and a control lever mounted on the first forming member and hinged to the second forming member for adjusting the lateral distance between the members, the combination which comprises a handle on the lever, an arcuate locking arm hinged to and projecting transversely from the handle substantially parallel to the plane of movement of lever and forming members, a trigger hinged to the first forming member and adapted to swing approximately parallel to said plane and engage the locking arm, and a spring means for holding the trigger in engagement with the locking arm.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 provided with an additional spring mounted on the first forming member and bearing against the handle to press the latter away from the first forming member.

6. In a garment former having first and second forming members adapted. to be moved laterally to and from each other and a control lever mounted on the first forming member and hinged to the second forming member for adjusting the lateral distance between the members, the combination which comprises a handle on the lever, an arcuate locking arm hinged to and projecting transversely from the handle substantially parallel to the plane of movement of lever and forming members, a trigger hinged to the first forming member and adapted to swing approximately parallel to said plane and provided with an orifice having a sharp edge through which the looking arm passes, and a spring mounted on the first forming member and bearing against the trigger for holding said sharp edge in engagement with the locking arm.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the trigger is mounted in the first forming member and projects therefrom opposite the handle.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the locking arm is bent on an arc of a circle centered at the point where the first forming member is hinged to the second forming member.

CLAUDE S. JORDAN.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 196,214 Franke Oct. 16, 1877 2,063,683 Johnston Dec. 8, 1936 2,206,605 Greco et a1. July 2, 1940 

